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<h2>Variable size symbols</h2>


<p>The size of some mathematical symbols, notably summation

    signs, product signs, and integral signs, depends on the

    environment in which they appear (i.e., <tt>displaymath</tt> as

    opposed to <tt>math</tt> environments; see

    <a href="ltx-115.html">Math Formulas</a> and

    <a href="mathfonts.html">Math Fonts and Styles</a>).</p>


<p>These include</p>


<ul>

    <li><tt>\sum</tt> a summation sign (capital sigma)</li>

    <li><tt>\prod</tt> a product (capital pi)</li>

    <li><tt>\coprod</tt> a coproduct (inverted capital pi)</li>

    <li><tt>\int</tt> an integral sign</li>

    <li><tt>\oint</tt> a surface (circular) integral sign</li>

    <li><tt>\bigcup</tt> big "U"</li>

    <li><tt>\bigcap</tt> big inverted "U"</li>

    <li><tt>\bigvee</tt> big "V"</li>

    <li><tt>\bigwedge</tt> big inverted "V"</li>

    <li><tt>\bigodot</tt> big "O" with dot at center</li>

    <li><tt>\bigotimes</tt> big "O" with cross inside</li>

    <li><tt>\bigoplus</tt> big "O" with a + inside</li>

    <li><tt>\biguplus</tt> big "U" with a + inside</li>

</ul>


<p>The <tt><a href="ltx-319.html">\sqrt</a></tt> command also

    produces a variable size symbol appropriate for the size of the

    radicand argument.</p>


<p>The "limits" associated with these symbols are entered as

    <a href="ltx-179.html">subscripts</a> for entries appearing

    below the symbol and as <a href="ltx-180.html">superscripts</a>

    for entries appearing above the symbol. For example the sum from

    n=0 to infinity of x<sub>n</sub> would be entered as ,/p>



<pre>

  \sum_{n=0}^{<a href="ltx-407.html">\infty</a>} x_{n}

</pre>


<p>The actual placement of the limits depends on whether this is

    in <tt>displaymath</tt> mode in which case they are placed

    below/above or in <tt>math</tt> mode in running text in which

    case they are placed as regular subscripts and superscripts.</p>


<p>Note that it is possible to treat several of these symbols (a

    common example would be a double sum) as a single symbol for

    placing limits above and/or below by using the

    <tt><a href="stackrel.html#mathop">\mathop</a></tt> command.</p>


<p>"Hats" and "tildes" over symbols which stretch (as best they

    can) to the correct size for their arguments are produced by

    <tt><a href="ltx-401.html#math">\widehat</tt> and

    <tt>\widetilde</a></tt>.</p>


<hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


<p>Related topics:</p>


<ul>

    <li><a href="ltx-403.html">Delimiters</a> can be made variable sized</li>

    <li><a href="mathfonts.html">Math fonts and styles</a></li>

</ul>


<ul>

    <li><a href="ltx-115.html">Math Formulas</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-117.html">Math Symbols</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-119.html">Math Miscellany</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-406.html">Arrows</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-404.html">Binary and relational operators</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-409.html">Math function symbols</a></li>

    <li><a href="ltx-407.html">Miscellaneous symbols</a></li>

</ul>


<ul>

    <li><tt><a href="ltx-403.html#big">\left</a></tt></li>

    <li><tt><a href="ltx-403.html#big">\right</a></tt></li>

    <li><tt><a href="ltx-319.html">\sqrt</a></tt></li>

    <li><tt><a href="stackrel.html">\stackrel</a></tt> and

        <tt><a href="stackrel.html">\mathop</a></tt></li>

</ul>


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